Benjamin Britten, Composer | Atlanta Symphony Orchestra 1913 - 1976 Biography Benjamin Britten was born in Lowestoft, Suffolk, on 22 November 1913. Although he was already composing prolifically from the age of seven, in 1928 lessons were arranged for him with the composer Frank Bridge; two years later he went to the Royal College of Music in London, studying with Arthur Benjamin, Harold Samuel and John Ireland. While still a student, he wrote his ‘official’ Op. 1, the Sinfonietta for chamber ensemble, and the Phantasy Quartet for oboe and string trio, and in 1936 he composed Our Hunting Fathers, an ambitious song-cycle for soprano and orchestra, which confirmed his virtuosic vocal and instrumental technique. He was already earning his living as a composer, having joined the GPO (Post Office) Film Unit the previous year; the collaboration he began there with the poet W. H. Auden was to prove an important one for several years.

In 1937, he first met the tenor Peter Pears, with whom he entered into the lifelong personal and creative partnership that was to become a major inspiration for his music. Five months before the outbreak of World War Two, Britten and Pears travelled to the United States and stayed there for three years, returning to Britain in 1942. In America Britten wrote a number of important works, among them the Violin Concerto, the song-cycle Les Illuminations for high voice and strings, and the orchestral Sinfonia da Requiem. With the operetta Paul Bunyan he also made his first essay in a genre that would be particularly important to him. Back in England, where as conscientious objectors both men were excused military service, Britten began work on the opera that would establish him as the pre-eminent British composer of his generation – Peter Grimes, premiered to an ecstatic audience reaction on 7 June 1945 with Pears in the title role. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra: Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell – a cornerstone of the orchestral repertoire – was first performed in the following year.

Britten now composed one major work after another, contributing significantly to symphonic, chamber and choral music but in particular to opera, through The Rape of Lucretia (1946), Albert Herring (1947), Billy Budd (1951), Gloriana (1953), The Turn of the Screw (1954), Noye’s Fludde (1957), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1960), Owen Wingrave (1970–71) to ">Death in Venice (1971–73), an operatic swansong summing up the conflict of innocence and corruption that obsessed him all his life. It is dedicated to Pears, who created the role of Aschenbach. The importance of Britten and Pears in post-War British cultural life was enhanced by their involvement in the founding of the English Opera Group in 1946 and the Aldeburgh Festival two years later.

Britten’s career as a composer was matched by his outstanding ability as a performer: he was a refined accompanist, especially in his partnership with Pears, and a fluent and authoritative conductor – his interpretations of Mozart were particularly highly esteemed. All his life Britten suffered bouts of ill health and in 1973 he underwent open-heart surgery from which he never fully recovered. He died on 4 December 1976, at the age of 63, a few months after being created a life peer – the first composer ever to receive that honour. Benjamin Britten - Biography - IMDb Benjamin Britten Jump to: Overview (3) | Mini Bio (1) | Trivia (9) | Personal Quotes (1) Overview (3) Edward Benjamin Britten Mini Bio (1) Benjamin Britten was born on November 22, 1913 in Lowestoft, Suffolk, England as Edward Benjamin Britten. He died on December 4, 1976 in Aldeburgh, Suffolk.

Trivia (9) Born at 7:0pm-UT He was awarded CH (Companion of Honour) in the 1953 Queen's Honours List; awarded OM (Order of Merit) in the 1965 Queen's Honours List; and awarded a Life-Peerage (Baron/Lord) in the 1976 Queen's Honours List for his services to music. He has a school named after him in his birth town of Lowestoft. He allegedly declined Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire. Co-founder of the Aldeburgh Festival. A pacifist, Britten did not do military service in World War II but helped the wartime effort by presenting concerts. English composer and pianist, best remembered for his contributions to opera. By the age of fourteen, he had written string quartets, piano sonatas, songs, a symphony and an oratorio. Personal Quotes (1) In the case of a few composers, a very few, when I hear a work I do not like, I am convinced it is my own fault. [Giuseppe] Verdi is one of those composers.

See also Benjamin Britten, horoscope for birth date 22 November 1913, born in Lowestoft, with Astrodatabank biography - Astro-Databank add Benjamin Britten to 'my astro' Biography British foremost composer who helped revive interest in opera through his "Peter Grimes," 1945 and other works, including compositions for motion pictures. He studied and from age seven and from age 14, composed music that was straightforward and conservatively modern with a dramatic flair. In 1937, then 24 years old, he made his mark outside England with the premiere at the Salzburg Festival of his "Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge," a work of stunning brilliance. The son of a dentist, Britten was raised in the seaside town of Lowestoft. He went to boarding school and later fell into the raffish company of W.H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood in the London '30s.

According to his letters, the gay writers took him to bath houses and urged him "to decide something about my sexual life." Neither was able to crack his physical reserve, nor was his relationship with the tenor Peter Pears consummated until they reached a hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in June 1939. For most of Britten's life, homosexual contact between consenting adults was an imprisonable offense. It was during Britten's time in America during WW II that his relationship with Pears deepened to become a nearly 40-year partnership. They were baited by homophobes among their colleagues and taunted by other musicians over their pacifism and socialism. Becoming hyper-sensitive to criticism and paranoid about his privacy, Britten was a timid but deeply ambitious man, fortified in his resolve by the two people who loved him most, his mother and his lover. When his adored and adoring mother died in 1937, he lost "the grandest mother a person could have." It was within weeks that Pears entered his life.

It was noted that Pears, a lyric tenor, had a voice "exactly like Britten's mother." Pears was the active partner, and the one with a roving eye. Britten never wavered in his devotion and was often fearful that his lover may stray, though his love was essentially more emotional than carnal. Theirs was a unique melding of talent and Britten specifically instructed Mitchell "to tell the truth about Peter and me." Britten died on 12/04/1976. On 6/20/1991, his intimate letters are diaries were published, but gingerly, because he had shared most of his adult life with Pears. The materials were suppressed by Britten's lover and nervous trustees of his estate, but after Pears' death in 1986, the eminent Mahler scholar Donald Mitchell was given permission to edit the correspondence. A close friend and the composer's publisher for 13 years, Mitchell co-edited the work, titled, "Letters From a Life: Selected Letters and Diaries of Benjamin Britten," in three volumes.

Benjamin Britten: Biography Benjamin Britten English Deutsch Benjamin Britten was born in Lowestoft, Suffolk, on the east coast of England, on 22 November 1913. Although he was already composing vigorously as a child, he nonetheless felt the importance of some solid guidance and in 1928 turned to the composer Frank Bridge; two years later he went to the Royal College of Music in London, studying with Arthur Benjamin, Harold Samuel and John Ireland. While still a student, he wrote his ‘official’ Op. 1, the Sinfonietta for chamber ensemble, and the Phantasy Quartet for oboe and string trio, and in 1936 he composed Our Hunting Fathers, an ambitious song-cycle for soprano and orchestra, which confirmed Britten’s virtuosic vocal and instrumental technique. He was already earning his living as a composer, having joined the GPO (Post Office) Film Unit the previous year; the collaboration he began there with the poet W. H. Auden was to prove an important one throughout his career. Britten found himself in the United States at the outset of World War Two and stayed there for three more years, returning to Britain in 1942.

In America he produced a number of important works, among them the orchestral Sinfonia da Requiem, the song-cycle Les Illuminations for high voice and strings, and his Violin Concerto. With the opera Paul Bunyan he also made his first essay in a genre that would be particular important to him. Back in Britain, where as a conscientious objector he was excused military service, he began work on the piece that would establish him beyond question as the pre-eminent British composer of his generation – the opera Peter Grimes, premiered to an ecstatic reaction on 7 June 1945. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra: Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell – a cornerstone of the orchestral repertoire – was first performed in the following year.

Indeed, Britten now composed one major work after another, among them the operas The Rape of Lucretia (1946), Albert Herring (1947), Billy Budd (1951), Gloriana (1953), The Turn of the Screw (1954), Noye’s Fludde (1957), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1960), Owen Wingrave (1970–71) and Death in Venice (1971–73); the Nocturne for tenor and orchestra (1958), the War Requiem (1961–62), a Cello Symphony (1963) for Rostropovich and his orchestral Suite on English Folk Tunes (1974). Britten’s importance in post-War British cultural life was enhanced by his founding of the English Opera Group in 1946 and the Aldeburgh Festival two years later. His career as a composer was matched by his outstanding ability as a performer: he was both a refined pianist and a spontaneous and fluent conductor – his Mozart was particularly highly esteemed.

Britten’s later career was clouded by bouts of ill-health, culminating in heart disease. He never fully recovered from open-heart surgery in 1973, and died on 4 December 1976, at the age of 63, a few months after being appointed a life peer – the first composer ever to know that honour. Benjamin Britten is published by Boosey & Hawkes. This biography can be reproduced free of charge in concert programmes with the following credit: Reprinted by kind permission of Boosey & Hawkes Mailing List Benjamin BRITTEN Home | Encylopaedia | Composers | BRITTEN Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976) Benjamin Britten was born in Lowestoft, England on the 22nd November 1913 where his mother was a keen amateur musician and singer. He is widely recognised as one of Britain's greatest composers since Purcell and massed over one hundred major compositions during his life time. He was essentially a vocal composer, writing operas and song-cycles that managed to reach a mass audience.

He was also brilliant pianist and conductor and wrote works for other musicians such as the cellist Rostropovich and the singer Janet Baker. He never abandoned the principles of tonality and was also known as a "modern composer". His music was heavily influenced firstly by his mother and then by his tenor friend Peter Pears for whom he composed many operatic and vocal roles such as the song cycle "Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings". He was also influenced by other European composers such as Berg, Bart?k, Schoenberg and Stravinski . Britten studied music at the Royal College of Music between 1930-1933, however he did not like the internal politics and of being told with whom he could study with. He studied under Frank Bridge (1879-1941) for a time and his "Variations on a Theme by Frank Bridge" was written under his influence in 1937 for string orchestra.

After the Royal College he worked for the General Post Office(G.P.O.) Film Unit, writing music for a dozen short documentary films incluing "coal face" and "Night Mail" (1936), "Hadrian's Wall" (1938), "Johnson over Jordan" (1939), "The Rescue" (1943) and "The Dark Tower" (1946). Britten met and collaborated with W.H. Auden who was to become a large influence on him and Auden reinforced Britten's pacifism and provided the text for his first important song cycle "Our Hunting Fathers" (1936). Both Peter Pears and Britten emigrated to America during 1939 and while there, Britten composed his first large scale orchestral work Britten - Sinfonia da Requiem (1940) and his first dramatic work, the operetta Paul Bunyan (1940). Whilst in America, he read an article on the Suffolk poet George Crabbe and this motivated him to move back to England in 1942 and to set Crabbe's work to an opera.

The result was Peter Grimes (1945). (1947), "The Beggar's opera" (new version of Gay's opera 1948), "Let's make an opera" (1949), "Billy Budd" (1951), "Gloriana" (1953), Turn Of The Screw (1954), "Noye's fudde" (1958), "A Midsummer Night's dream" (1960), "Owen Wingrave" (1971) and Death in Venice (1973) which was his 15th and last one. "Death in Venice" provided Pears with his most demanding stage role and it was Britten's most public statement concerning his long-standing relationship with the singer. Britten has been criticised by some that after the success of Peter Grimes his work was no longer as powerful. One of his greatest achievements however, has to be that of placing English opera onto the world's centre stage.

His interest in chamber opera and the fact that there was only two established opera companies led in 1947 to the foundation of the English Opera Group (EOG) (now English Music Theatre) with the producer and librettist Eric Crozier and John Piper. He was also involved with setting up the Aldeburgh Festival first held in 1948 in the Suffolk seaside town where both he and Pears lived. In 1961 he wrote War Requiem which was a commission for the consecration of Coventry Cathedral after it's post-war reconstruction. It is of interest to note that Britten was a conscientious objector during the war and several of his works carry a pacifist message. After a heart operation in 1973, his musical activities were reduced. He was awarded the Companion of Honour in 1953 and Member of the Order of Merit in 1965. He also became the first composer or musician to become a life peer (Lord Britten of Aldeburgh) in 1976.

One of Britten's major talents was to be able to capture the imagination and interests of children as in "Let's make an opera" and his choral work "St. Nicholas". He also made use of themes such as innocence lost, the persecution of the outsider in society and cruelty. He became friends with the Soviet composer Shostakovich who dedicated his 14th Symphony to him. Britten died in December 1976 from heart disease. Essential Listening: Benjamin Britten in a nutshell. Born: Lowestoft, England 22 November 1913 (Feast of St Cecilia, patron saint of music) His birthplace and family home is now Lowestoft's only 5 star hotel: Britten House Died: Aldeburgh, Suffolk. 4 December 1976. Buried there next to his partner Sir Peter Pears At 5 yrs started piano lessons and composing At 14 yrs taught by composer Frank Bridges At 16 yrs scholarship to Royal College of Music, taught by John Ireland. After graduation wrote music for documentary films made by the Post Office Film Unit where he met and started a collaboration with W.H Auden. At 24 yrs his mother died.

Met the tenor Peter Pears who was to become his life long partner. At 26 yrs (1939) went to Canada and USA with Peter Pears. War broke out so they didn't return till 1942. As pacifists they registered as conscientious objectors and were exempt from fighting. 1955 Travelled extensively in Europe and Far East. Influenced by the music of Bali and Japan. 1976 accepted a life peerage, becoming Baron Britten of Aldeburgh. Died 2 months later. Highly recommended: Tony Palmer's brilliant film "A Time There Was..." about Benjamin Britten, his life and his music. Available on DVD. Click on the panel and read the reviews on the Amazon page. The Aldeburgh Scallop - a Tribute In 2003 a 4 metre high steel scallop was unveiled on a quiet beach north of Aldeburgh. It is a sculptural tribute by artist Maggi Hambling and was made by local craftsmen Sam and Dennis Pegg.

Read more about it on Maggi Hambling's website The Amazon Store Benjamin Britten - IMDb IMDb 17 January 2017 4:34 PM, UTC NEWS Benjamin Britten was born on November 22, 1913 in Lowestoft, Suffolk, England as Edward Benjamin Britten. He died on December 4, 1976 in Aldeburgh, Suffolk. See full bio » Born: Famous Directors: From Sundance to Prominence From Christopher Nolan to Quentin Tarantino and every Coen brother in between, many of today's most popular directors got their start at the Sundance Film Festival . Here's a list of some of the biggest names to go from Sundance to Hollywood prominence. a list of 101 people created 30 Oct 2011 a list of 1776 people created 31 May 2013 a list of 169 people created 18 Jun 2014 a list of 17 people created 4 months ago Do you have a demo reel? Add it to your IMDbPage How much of Benjamin Britten's work have you seen?

User Polls 2015 The Lobster (writer: "String Quartet No. 1 in D, Op. 25: Andante Sostenuto") 2015 The Club (writer: "First Suite for Cello, Op. 72") 2013 The Answer to Everything (music: "Peter Grimes (excerpts)") 2013/I The Machine (writer: "4 Sea Interludes, Op. 33A - II. Sunday Morning (Allegro Spiritoso)") 2013 Bunheads (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode) - Channing Tatum Is a Fine Actor (2013) ... (writer: "Cuckoo!") 2012 Moonrise Kingdom (music: "A Midsummer's Night Dream, Op. 64: Act 2: On the Ground, Sleep Sound") / (writer: "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34: Themes A.-F.", "Playful Pizzicato, from Simple Symphony, Op. 4", "Noye's Fludde, op.

59 : Noye, Noye, Take Thou Thy Company, Op. 59", "Songs from Friday Afternoons, Op. 7 (Cuckoo!)", "Songs from Friday Afternoons, Op. 7 (Old Abram Brown)", "Noye's Fludde, Op. 59: The Spacious Firmament on High", "Noye's Fludde, Op. 59: Noye Take Thy Wife Anone", "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34: Fugue: Allegro Motto") 2011 Mon arbre (writer: "Friday Aternoon Opus 7 -Eeh - Oh!") 2011 The Royal Wedding (TV Movie) ("Courtly Dance V: Galliard from Gloriana (Symphonic Suite), Op. 53a no. 7") 2011 Pina (Documentary) (performer: "O Let Me Weep, For Ever Weep") - The Pen Is Mightier Than the Doyle (2010) ... (arranger: "I WILL GIVE MY LOVE AN APPLE" - uncredited) 2009 Relocation!

Expansion! (Documentary short) (writer: "Playful Pizzicato, from Simple Symphony, Op. 4") 2009 Mr. Nobody (performer: "Sentimental Saraband Poco Lento e Pesante") / (writer: "Conto Primo (sostenuto e largemente)", "Sentimental Saraband Poco Lento e Pesante") 2008 Spisok korabley (Documentary) (writer: "The Turn of the Screw") 2006 Folk Britannia (TV Series documentary) (performer - 1 episode) 2004 William and Mary (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode) - Episode #2.2 (2004) ...

(writer: "Corpus Christe" - uncredited) 2002 Jeff Buckley: Everybody Here Wants You (TV Movie documentary) (writer: "Corpus Christi Carol") 2002 Talk to Her (arranger: "O Let Me Weep, For Ever Weep") 2002 Love Liza (writer: "Corpus Christi Carol") 2001 Aleph, lectures contades (TV Series documentary) (writer - 1 episode) - Virginia Woolf (2001) ... (writer: "Les Illuminations", "Cello Suites, Op.87") 1999 Jeff Buckley: Remembered (TV Movie documentary) (writer: "Corpus Christi Carol") 1999 Beau Travail (music: "Billy Budd Opera") 1997 Mimic (music: "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell)" - uncredited) 1995 Noe beroligende (writer: "Suite for solo cello No. 3, Op.

87") 1994 Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe: An Evening of Yes Music Plus (Video) (writer: "Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra") 1989 Too Beautiful for You (performer: "SONATE POUR ARPEGGIONE ET PIANO D 821") 1989 War Requiem (performer: "War Requiem, Op. 66") / (writer: "War Requiem, Op.

66") 1988 Distant Voices, Still Lives (arranger: "O Waly, Waly") / (performer: "O Waly, Waly") / (writer: "Hymn to the Virgin") 1987 Coda (TV Movie) (performer: "Serenade Opus 31 for Tenor Solo, Horn and Strings") / (writer: "Variations on a theme by Frank Bridge", "Serenade Opus 31 for Tenor Solo, Horn and Strings") 1987 Every Breath You Take (TV Movie) (music: "Sanctus and Benedictus" - uncredited) 1986 Mauvais Sang (music: "Simple Symphony - Variation on a theme of Franck Bridge") 1986 Singing the Blues in Red (music: "Cello Suite No. 2 in D Major, Op.

80") 1985 The Angelic Conversation (music: "Sea Interludes") 1983 A Christmas Story (writer: "A Ceremony of Carols" - uncredited) 1982 Doktor Faustus (music: "A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op.64") / (writer: "Symphony for Cello and Orchestra, Op.68") - The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1978) ...

(music: "Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra", "Peter Grimes" (excerpts)) 1969 Civilisation (TV Mini-Series documentary) (writer: "Shine Out, Fair Sun", "The Driving Boy" - uncredited) 1987 The Rape of Lucretia (TV Movie) (music by) 1985 Albert Herring (TV Movie) (music by) 1985 Britten: War Requiem (TV Movie) (stock music) 1984 Gloriana (TV Movie) (music by) 1982 A Ceremony of Carols (TV Movie) (music by) 1982 Velikan-egoist (Short) (stock music) 1981/II A Midsummer Night's Dream (TV Movie) (music by: Opera in three acts) 1981 Death in Venice (TV Movie) (music by) 1981 Peter Grimes (TV Movie) (music by) 1979 Benjamin Britten: A Time There Was...

(TV Movie documentary) (music by: Selected works) NET Opera Theater (TV Series) (conductor - 2 episodes, 1969 - 1971) (music by - 1 episode, 1969) - Peter Grimes (1969) ... (conductor) / (music by) Music on 2 (TV Series) (conductor - 2 episodes, 1965 - 1970) (music arranger - 1 episode, 1965) Benjamin Britten — Free listening, videos, concerts, stats and photos at Last.fm 20th century Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten of Aldeburgh, OM (1913–1976) was a British composer, conductor, and pianist. Britten was born on 22nd November 1913 in Lowestoft in Suffolk, the son of a dentist and a talented amateur musician. He began composing prolifically as a child, and in 1927 began private lessons with Frank Bridge. He also studied, less happily, at the Royal College of Music under John Ireland and with some input from Ralph Vaughan Williams .

Although ultimately held back… read more Benjamin Britten Biography - Benjamin Britten Life, Childhood and Timeline Musicians Benjamin Britten Biography British composer, conductor and pianist, Benjamin Britten is considered one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. Know more about his life, childhood and timeline in the biography below. Quick Facts Royal College of Music (1930 – 1933) Gresham's School UNESCO's International Rostrum of Composers Grammy Awards Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal More Awards Ernst von Siemens Music Prize BRIT Awards Grammy Hall of Fame Award Benjamin Britten was an English composer, conductor and pianist whose name has gone down in history as one of the best musicians of the past century. Dissatisfaction with the music of contemporary England led Britten to model himself on the works of other musicians from the continent. It must have been this dissatisfaction that must have enabled Britten to transcend genres of music like very few others. Even when the inspiration to his music lied elsewhere, his music had a freshness and identity that separated him from contemporary musicians and pushed him in to a league of his own.

His works are also considered a refreshing change from the dullness that had seemed to dominate orchestral music of England in late 19th and early 20th century. Explore more about the life and work of this legendary musician in this biography that encapsulates everything from his childhood to death in detail. Benjamin Britten’s Childhood and Early Life Benjamin Britten was born Edward Benjamin Britten in Lowestoft, Suffolk County, England on November 22, 1913, on St. Cecilia’s Day, to Robert and Edith Britten, as the youngest of four children. Robert was a dentist while Edith was an amateur musician. She was Benjamin’s first teacher and gave him his first piano lessons. Even when a child Britten showed prodigious talents and composed at a rate that was astounding. His juvenile compositions were more than 800. His first piano lessons with a teacher were at the age of seven. He started viola lessons with Audrey Alston at the age of 10. He later dedicated one of his works to her. It was through her that Britten came to the notice of Frank Bridge, eminent composer and violist. Impressed by his talents, Bridge agreed to tutor him in composition.

Bridge remained an influential figure in the life of Britten who went on to champion his teacher’s works. Britten even wrote a work titled ‘Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge’ dedicated to his teacher. Education: From a Child Prodigy to Master In 1930, Britten joined the Royal College of Music where he studied composition under John Ireland and piano under Arthur Benjamin. He studied there until 1933. It was during this period that he met composers from the continent like Stravinsky, Gustav Mahler, and Dmitry Shostakovich. Stravinsky would also become a major influence on Britten. Britten had commented that Stravinsky was the first musician since the era of Beethoven who freed himself from the creation of self–centered music. The compositions of note from this period were ‘A Hymn to the Virgin’ and ‘A Boy was Born’, the former an opera and the latter choral variations. As a Professional Britten’s father’s death meant that he had to come up with his own source of income. To this purpose, he started composing music for television documentaries and films.

This stood him in good stead as he could easily incorporate elements from film music into works classical in nature. During his earliest works for the BBC, he came in contact with W.H. Auden with whom he worked a few more times. It was also during one such project with the BBC in 1937 that he came in contact with Peter Pears. Pears, who went on to become his music collaborator and life partner, was a tenor for whom Britten wrote most of his solo music. In the same year, he composed his ‘Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge’. This work brought him international acclaim. Britten was against war of all kinds. Following his role as a pacifist during the Second World War and his general disillusionment with war, he decided to move to America with Auden and Pears in 1939. While in America, he composed ‘The Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo’, his first song cycle for Pears. He also wrote his first music drama, ‘Paul Bunyan’. A growing disillusionment at not having what he hoped for in America forced Britten to rethink about his settlement there. He and Pears moved back to England in 1942.

Back in England, Britten’s reputation started burgeoning with works like ‘Hymns to St. Cecilia’, ‘Peter Grimes’ being huge successes from the 1940’s. Towards the end of this decade, due to the uneasy relationships at the musical scene in London, he created the English Opera Group in 1947. He established the Aldeburgh Festival in 1948 where he performed his works. The festival went on to become so huge that it attracted performers from all over the world. Throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s, Britten came up with many works that were huge successes. The operas ‘Billy Budd’ and ‘The Turn of the Screw’, the ballet ‘The Prince of the Pagodas’ were notable works of the 1950’s. In 1953, Britten was appointed a Companion of Honor. He continued to produce works of greatness in the 1960’s including ‘War Requiem’ in 1962. Other notable works of this period include ‘The Prodigal Son’ and ‘The Burning Fiery Furnace’ among others.

It was also in this decade, in 1965, that he was honored by his appointment to the Order of Merit. Death The last decade of his life, the 1970’s, saw his health deteriorating. The frequency of the works came down, though he did manage to produce work with enough recall value. ‘Owen Wingrave’, ‘Death in Venice’, ‘A Time there Was’ were among his works from this period. He accepted Life Peerage in 1976, and became Baron Britten. Only months later, he died of heart failure at his home in Aldeburgh. He is buried next to his partner Peter Pears in St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church cemetery in Aldeburgh. Awards and Recognitions During the course of his illustrious career, Britten received numerous awards. The notable among them are: 1961 - UNESCO’s International Rostrum of Composers for A Midsummer Night's Dream.

1963 - Grammy Awards – Classical Album of the Year, Best Classical Composition by a Contemporary Composer, Best Classical Performance – Choral , all of it for War Requiem 1964 - Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal, 1967 - Sonning Award (Denmark) 1974 - Ernst von Siemens Music Prize 1977 - BRIT Awards – Best Orchestral Album of the past 25 years for War Requiem 1998 - Grammy Hall of Fame Award for War Requiem (posthumous) Legacy Benjamin Britten, while he composed and experimented with many genres, will always be remembered most for his operas. His operas are so very successful that he still remains the most performed of all composers born after 1900. However, it was his willingness to experiment with genres of varied kinds that made him a master. His choral works too continue to be performed, as are his songs for children. His conduction techniques were also of the highest order. However, his lasting contribution must be the fact that he energized the music scene, which he himself had claimed, had become complacent and had gone in to a routine.

His fresh approach went a long way in rectifying this and to this purpose, the works he produced have elevated him to a level where some critics even call him a genius. BENJAMIN BRITTEN TIMELINE Born in Lowestoft, Suffolk, England 1920: Started piano lessons with a teacher for the first time aged 7 1923: Starts Viola lessons aged 10 1927: Started composition lessons with Frank Bridge 1930: Joined the Royal College of Music. Studies there till 1933 1930: Composed ‘A Hymn to the Virgin’, first of his works to attract wide attention 1933: Completed the choral work ‘A Boy was Born’ 1935: Met renowned poet and writer W.H. Auden with whom he would work on a few projects 1937: Met Peter Pears who would go on to become his music collaborator and life partner 1939: Moved to U.S.A.

along with Pears due to general disillusionment with atmosphere in England during World War II 1942: Britten Biographical Information Britten Biographical Information Early Life Benjamin Britten was born in Lowestoft, England, on November 22, 1913 - St. Cecilia's Day. His earliest exposure to music came from his mother, who was an amateur singer. He began composing his first works at the age of five, and produced prolifically throughout his childhood, despite his lack of musical guidance. When he was six, he wrote a play, "The Royal Falily" [sic]; it was about the death of Prince John, the fifth son of George V, at the age of 13 in 1919. He would compose before breakfast, to have time to go to school. As a young boy he enjoyed mathematics, and was the captain of the cricket team. When he was eleven, Britten was discovered by Frank Bridge , a composer who had recently become interested in experimental styles and the work of Bart&#243k and Schoenberg . Bridge gave Britten a technical foundation on which to base his creativity and introduced him to a wide range of composers from many different countries.

In 1930, Britten entered the Royal College of Music to study piano and composition under Harold Samuel and Arthur Benjamin . He did not find the RCM to be very helpful; in his later years Britten remarked that he "did not learn much." This was partially because the director was Sir Hugh Allen, an associate of Ralph Vaughan Williams , who was a professor there. Vaughan Williams disliked "brilliance", and "technical virtuosity for its own sake", and showed great distaste for the work of Frank Bridge. One of Britten's first jobs was composing music for documentary films produced by the General Post Office, starting in April 1935. This gave him a good background for writing operas in the future, because of television's unconventional challenges (New Grove, p. 293). An example of this is from the music to the film Coal Face. In order to recreate the effect of a train approaching through a tunnel, Britten recorded a cymbal crash, and reversed it. Through his work at the GPO, Britten also met W.H. Auden (4 July 1935); Britten used Auden's poetry in Hymn to St.

Cecilia (1942). Trip to America Eventually Auden emigrated to the United States. This led Britten to make up his mind to go to America in 1939, along with his friend, the tenor Peter Pears . Britten went to the United States out of discontent; he was also a conscientious objector. Britten's anti-war feelings show quite prominently in the War Requiem. In 1942, though, Britten decided to go back home to England. One contributing factor to this decision is said to be his reading of an article on the Suffolk poet Crabbe (New Grove, p. 293). The poem "The Borough", particulary its section about Peter Grimes, moved Britten. Later the opera Peter Grimes would be one of his most important works. During the voyage home in March, 1942, he wrote Hymn to St. Cecilia . Shortly after his return, in 1943, he composed Rejoice in the Lamb . War Requiem The War Requiem was completed 20 December 1961, and first performed 30 May 1962.

It was held as the most impressive British choral work since Walton 's Belshazzar's Forest in 1931. The work enjoyed enormous popularity among critics. William Mann of the Times, in a preliminary article, had some typical descriptions: "disturbing", "denounces barbarism", and "Britten's masterpiece." Some critics railed against its great popularity, including Stravinsky , who was annoyed that it wasn't really allowed to be criticized, because, in criticizing it, one would "be made to feel if one had failed to stand up for 'God Save the Queen.'" Stravinsky, however, had some reasons to be annoyed at Britten, especially after Auden reported to him that Britten liked The Rake's Progress - "everything but the music." Stravinsky followed in Britten's footsteps on a few pieces, sometimes too close; he changed the title of his original Sinfonia da Requiem to Requiem Canticles because of the existing Britten work by that name.

After the War Requiem, the Cantata Misericordium was his next "public" work, composed for the centenary of the Red Cross, with Latin text describing the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Another anti-war work of Britten's was Owen Wingrave, by Myfanwy Piper; this came after the Vietnam War and the incident at Kent State. Later Life Britten received many prizes and honors, including becoming a Companion of Honour in 1952, and a member of the Order of Merit in 1965. The Order of Merit was his most cherished honor; only twenty-four people are allowed to be members at one time. Since its creation in 1902 only two composers prior to Britten received this honor: Elgar in 1912, and Vaughan Williams in 1935. In 1964 he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society. At fifty he won the Robert O. Anderson Aspen Award in the Humanities, which was a $30,000 prize, and two citations from the New York Music Critics Circle for A Midsummer Night's Dream and the War Requiem.

In 1974 he won the French government's Ravel Prize. He was also made a life peer in 1976, the year of his death; the Encyclopedia Britannica entry calls him Baron Britten. He was the first musician to receive this honor. However, Britten was not arrogant; he stated, "People sometimes seem to think that, with a number of works now lying behind, one must be bursting with confidence. It is not so at all. I haven't achieved the simplicity I should like in my music, and I am enormously aware that I haven't yet come up to the technical standards Bridge set me." After the 1968 Aldeburgh Festival , Britten came down with an infection, which was diagnosed as sub-acute bacterial endocarditis. This disease had killed Mahler, but Britten had the advantage of massive doses of antibiotics. The illness led to the discovery of a valvular heart-lesion, which was probably caused by rheumatic fever as a child. In 1971-72, symptoms of a heart disease recurred. For several years during the latter period of his life Britten had complained of a pain in his left arm when conducting.

During Britten's year off composing, Peter Pears wished that Britten should never lose faith in music, so he resumed composing after taking a year off. Britten desperately wanted to finish his last opera, Death in Venice. He did not want to have surgery until he had completed it. Eventually he gave in, though. In 1973, he had an operation to replace a heart valve. He had to be wheeled in on a cart to see its performance for the first time. According to Pears, Britten had no fear of dying, and no convictions as to what followed death. He died 4 December 1976, in Aldeburgh. Important People

Question: Which composer was born at Lowestoft in November 1913?
Answer: BENJAMIN BRITTEN